PKC-θ is a negative regulator of TRAIL-induced and FADD-mediated apoptotic spectrin aggregation DOI: 10.5603/FHC.a2016.0006 Effects of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and phorbol-myristate acetate (PMA) on spectrin aggregation. A. Time course reveals that spectrin aggregation is more sensitive to TRAIL-induced (100 ng/mL) than H2O2-induced (100 μM) apoptosis. Western blot analysis was performed using mouse anti-spectrin and developed by using appropriate secondary antibodies as detailed in Table 1. Densitometric analyses of the data (signals from control insoluble fractions are subtracted from signals from apoptotic insoluble fractions). S — supernatant, Triton X-100 soluble fraction; P — pellet, Triton X-100 insoluble fraction; B. PMA treatment does not lead to spectrin aggregation. Cells treated with TRAIL, PMA, or TRAIL and PMA (concentrations as above) for 60 min were extracted with cold 1% Triton X-100 and centrifuged at 30,000 g. Supernatant and pellet at the same protein concentrations were subjected to SDS-PAGE (12%) electrophoresis, and transferred onto nitrocellulose. S — supernatant, Triton X-100 soluble fraction; P — pellet, Triton X-100 insoluble fraction; *,** P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01, respectively; C. Protein kinase C theta (PKC-θ) translocates to the “membrane fractions” during apoptosis induced by TRAIL (100 ng/mL) and PMA (100 nM) treatment. A simplified subcellular fractionation experiment and Western blot were performed using mouse anti-spectrin and rabbit anti-PKC-θ and developed by using appropriate secondary antibodies as detailed in Table 1 in Material and methods. Densitometric analyses show the percentage of PKC-θ in each membrane and cytosol fraction. Graph represents means of biological triplicates, with error bars being standard deviations. C — cytosol fraction; M — membrane fraction